The Magic of Moonlight
by Skyrvy
Summary: After a long day of being queen, Eirika needs some fresh air and goes out into the garden, but will she find someone there already?
Eirika sighed, tired from yet another wearisome day. Life as queen was hard, busy work, and she was exhausted. Gracefully, she fell into a chair by the fire. She sat by the fire not because she was cold—indeed, she was a bit too warm for her liking—but because the chair there was the softest chair in the room. Forde, her guard of the day, stood at the back of the room, eyes flickering about as if he thought there may be an assassin hiding under the sofa. It was true that there had been unexplainable attempts on her life, but it was impossible that an assailant has slipped into this deep chamber of the castle.

"You may sit down, you know," Eirika motioned to Forde. "I doubt my life is in danger at this moment."

"Thank you, your Majesty, but Seth would skin me alive if he knew I hadn't taken guard duty seriously."

Eirika smiled at the mention of Seth, and suddenly realized it had been some days since she had seen his kind sanguine eyes. "Where is Seth?" Eirika inquired.

"He has been away at the border. There were reports of some kind of activity, and he wanted to check the border himself."

"Ah… That is just like him…" The heat from the fire wafted over Eirika, and suddenly she needed some fresh air. Arising, she drifted out of the room and down the long hallways of the castle, Forde dutifully following a few yards behind. Knowing the castle's layout by heart, Eirika chose a shortcut to the gardens through the kitchens. Such unqueenly shortcuts were a frequent habit of hers, and those still in the kitchen cleaning up after supper merely smiled and tilted their heads at her as she passed, occasionally murmuring, "Your Majesty."

Eirika returned the nods and smiles until she arrived at the exit. Here she stopped and turned on Forde. "Forde, I'd like to take a stroll in the gardens, and I'd like to go alone."

"Your Majesty," Forde protested, "Seth commanded that a guard never leave your side, especially while he's away. I—"

"Yes, Forde, I understand that you have orders from your general, but are those orders truly more imperative than orders from your queen?" She chided with a smile.

Forde hesitated, "Well, no, your Majesty, of course. However _you_ are unlikely to have me gutted. The general on the other hand…"

Eirika laughed, "Fear not, I'll be sure to let Seth know that you are neither to be gutted _nor_ skinned alive." Forde smiled sheepishly and bowed.

Eirika slipped out the door into the moonlight and took a moment to breathe a sigh of relief. _Freedom!_ It was rare these days that she ever had a moment to herself. Even when she was sleeping there were guards at her door.

She leaned against the door and gazed up at the full, bright moon in the heavens and wondered how Seth was. In the past she would see him and speak to him daily. Now, he would report to her occasionally, but usually she was too busy for small talk, and he always had some pressing matter to attend.

She missed him. She _always_ missed him. The ache in her heart hounded her and seemed never to go away until he was near. Now he was gone who-knew-where, and she didn't know _when_ she might see him again. Letting out another breath that created a small puff of mist in the chill air, Eirika began strolling, just wanting to be out of the castle and free for a while.

She gazed up at the moon above that lit everything brightly, and she let her thoughts wander. Mostly, they turned to Seth. Was he alright? When would he be back? Did he miss her too? She shook her head gently at such questions. He had told her himself that he would only see her as a knight would see his queen. True, that statement had been preceded by an expression of momentary admiration, but in the end, Eirika feared, Seth was a knight before anything else, and whatever esteem he may have would not sway him to turn from what he thought was his duty as a general of Renais. In his mind, she thought, loving his queen more than any other citizen loved her was not acceptable to one of his station. He was not a king, prince, or noble, and Eirika was sorry that this made him think he was any less deserving.

"My Lady?" Eirika flinched at the two words, not expecting there to be another out in the gardens. She spun, and saw a tall figure near a tree.

"Seth!" Eirika recognized his voice and the shape of his silhouette. "What are you doing here? I mean, I thought you were at the border!" His presence always seemed to make her flustered. Seth moved out from the shadows of the tree and neared her.

"I was, but I returned early."

"Oh… " Seth looked into her eyes with a kind smile, and Eirika blushed for seemingly no reason. "I'm glad to see you're alright."

"You were worried about me?"

"Of course… Apart from my brother, Seth, I care for no man more than you." The words spilled out of her mouth before she could stop them, and her blush deepened. She looked away, suddenly afraid to see what reaction he might make to those words and wishing she could retract them.

"Eirika…,"

"I—I'm sorry," Eirika stammered, turning slightly and gesturing at the sky and the moon, "It's a beautiful night out, isn't it?"

Seth let a moment of silence pass before he replied, "I was admiring its beauty myself…" He paused again. "But then you walked out into it, and I seemed unable to appreciate the beauty of nature when the beauty of you was before me."

Eirika's heart stopped. She looked back at Seth. He seemed especially pale suddenly. "Seth?" The word came out in a whisper, a breath, uncertain, and hoping that the magic of the moon this night might change her life forever.

"Eirika," Seth neared her still. "I didn't plan on seeing you tonight. In fact, I didn't know when I could bring myself to see you again…" He paused briefly, then rushed on. "The allure you have over me, I have fought against—indeed, warred against!— knowing that you and I… a knight and his queen, could never be. But then while I was away, I walked by this shop, and I saw… something. It made me think of you. I bought it on a whim, before I could convince myself to walk away. I immediately rushed back here, wanting to see you and dreading to see you… _Needing_ to see you. I don't know if it's fate that has brought you out into this garden tonight, but I hope against hope that perhaps… Perhaps this is meant to be after all."

Eirika couldn't find her breath, she struggled to keep from crying, not knowing whether she was shivering from the cold or from his words— the words she had longed to hear and never thought that she would!

"Eirika, if I speak these words in vain, tell me now, I implore you. I can't take false hope. I must know what you are thinking."

But Eirika couldn't find her words, and her voice seemed impossible to reach. Instead, she took his hand in hers and kissed his palm, hoping her eyes would speak the words her lips seemed incapable of uttering.

" _Eirika_ ," the one word seemed so filled with emotion, it took her breath away. Seth cupped her face, his own expression filled with adoration, and Eirika leaned into his hands, her eyes closing a moment in bliss. "Eirika," Seth's hands slid from her face, and he fell to one knee, pulling something from his pocket. "The item a bought, thinking of you… was this," Seth revealed a delicate silver ring with a crystal blue sapphire. "Eirika, you are my queen, and I am nothing. I don't deserve you. In a million years, I still would not deserve you. All I can offer is my heart. Accept it, and there will never walk this earth a more blessed or happier man. I love you. I love you! Marry me."

The tears spilled unbidden down Eirika's cheeks, as a whirlwind of emotion swept through her. All she could manage at first was a nod. "Yes, yes, Seth." Eirika finally found her voice, "Of course. Yes, Seth, I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you seemingly forever." She would never forget the look of rapture on Seth's face at these words as he rose to his feet and slid the ring on her finger. He looked at her and took her face in his hands once again.

"Can this be true?" He whispered. Then he neared her and brushed his lips on hers. His fingers slid into her hair, and his other hand pulled her closer. He kissed her slowly and passionately, his lips returning again and again, sending Eirika into a daze as she held onto him. His fingers knotted in her hair, and he crushed her closer still, not wanting to wake up from the dream. Eirika's arms slowly slithered up his neck, sending shivers through him to match her own.

Fire burned her cheeks, and a moan escaped her at the achingly slow and fervent kisses. Electricity coursed through her veins as she slid her own hands up into his soft, ruddy hair, something she had been wanting to do since the first day she met him.

Neither of them able to breathe, Seth finally broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers. Words were too small for this perfect moment, so neither of them spoke. They just stood, entangled in each other's embrace, blissfully happy.


End file.
